


Pleas in the Dark

by Le_Bilboquet



Category: Bravely Default (Video Game) & Related Fandoms
Genre: Angst, Found Family, Freely adding on to canon characters' backstories, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, I’m trying to stay closest to canon as possible, as well as asterisk lore-building, but some stuff in canon don’t make sense so sometimes I have to make choices, character backstory, lots of magic lore-building, mention of abusive parenting, various headcanon about eternian generals in later chapters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:20:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,104
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25737955
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Le_Bilboquet/pseuds/Le_Bilboquet
Summary: Little Alternis is a problematic child to deal with, the Lees had expected, but they never knew it would be such an ordeal.Where does this rage inside him come from, and can it be appeased?
Comments: 12
Kudos: 9





	1. Temper Tantrums

They couldn’t tell exactly when this started to become a real problem. The boy had always been nervous, skittish and prompt to enforce his physical boundaries, but to be quite honest, these were all to be expected from his background. As such, they had decided at first to pay it no mind: they figured that with a little bit of patience and a lot of love and care, he would get over it in due time.

This did not happen: on the contrary, as the days passed, the situation only grew worse.

“Enough!” the Grand Marshall of Eternia commanded at once with his most severe, unyielding voice. The man was renowned to be as cold as the tundra he reined supreme on, but in this moment, you could feel the heat of a volcano from Eisenberg underneath these icy eyes.

But the target of his ire only yelled louder, stamping his feet in hysteria, tugging in frustration on the bracelet at his wrist. The boy was literally shaking with anger, face red under hot tears that glued disheveled blond hair to his burning cheeks.

Temper tantrums. A natural developmental usually phase in children that usually passed without a hitch had gone completely out of control in Alternis. The smallest inconveniency, disappointment, stress, embarrassment, _sometimes nothing at all_ , would trigger screaming fury, clawing and kicks. His behaviour only seemed to get worse with each new crisis, and the Lee couple was at loss as of what to do with this growing ball of white hot furor.

As much as they didn’t want to admit it, they were getting worried for their daughter’s safety, as well as their own mental well-being if this went on. They feared the day exhaustion would overtake them, and they would be the ones to lash out at him, hurt him even. A thought was unwillingly creeping its way up slowly, that maybe they couldn’t care for the child. Maybe he was too broken for them to fix. Maybe they should give up on him again, like others before them. Maybe his story didn’t have a happy ending after all.

But for now, they were still trying. They met with psychologists and therapists, but the child would still keep stubbornly mute, and trying to coax any word out of him would simply result in more tantrums. They tried calming drugs and medicine but they only seemed to make him sick and in pain.

Meanwhile, the ordeal was taking its heavy toll on the child too, as it became more and more common for him to pass out of exhaustion after, or even during a fit. He would spend a lot of time sleeping everyday, wake up exhausted, eventually throw a tantrum, and pass out again. He barely even ate anymore.

“I said, it’s _enough_!” Braev shouted again, for even he was struggling to be heard under the shrills.

This time they had only been trying to get him to eat, a warm, light soup that he usually liked, watered down enough for him to eat on what must’ve been an empty, potentially upset stomach.

“Why are you making even _this_ difficult?”

“Honey, you shouldn’t force him. He could just be sick again,” Mahzer tried to defend, as she lifted Edea from her baby chair to console her in her arms, the toddler distraught by the boy’s fit. “Maybe we should call a doctor.” Maybe stomach cramps were the root of his bad mood the last week. The child was pressing his nails into his belly right now.

“He hasn’t eaten anything in three days, you told me yourself.” Braev shot his wife a glance. “His mood will not get any better on an empty stomach, now— _calm down_ —!” He commanded as he grabbed the child under the arms to lift him up and take him to his room to calm himself down and let their ears rest, while Alternis only flailed harder and yelled louder, struggling against the man’s grasp, kicking, scratching, punching.

By the time they got up the stairs and in front of the boy's room, however, he had gone limp, his body still entangled in Braev’s arms from the aftermath of his struggle. He had exhausted himself again, and was now gaping for air, drenched in sweat. Braev let out a tired sigh and put the little packet back into his bed. But just as he drew the covers, a tiny hand came to rest on his. The templar had assumed the child had passed out, but wrongly: although Alternis was clearly struggling to keep his eyelids open, there was recognition in those tired, burrowed eyes. Braev kneeled beside the bed, taking the small hand in his.

“Now can you tell me what this was all about?” He simply asked, in a tone slightly more severe than he’d have wanted. And he knew, rather uselessly: no word had ever passed the boy’s lips since he’d found him two months ago. He wouldn’t answer him now. Indeed, Alternis averted his gaze in shame. At this sight, Braev felt himself mellowing out. “I’m not mad at you, I just need to understand so we can fix it.”

The child kept looking away for a few seconds, until he raised his other hand shyly, the one with the white magic bracelet.

Braev had put this bracelet on him the very first day they had met, when he picked him up from the street after he had passed out from their duel. It acted as a seal that prevented him from using his powers, and he would keep it on until his behavior had settled down. Dark magic, even a child’s was extremely dangerous, for people around him, and for himself. The way he used it raw without channeling it properly as elemental magic hurt his own body, and Alternis was a scared, hurt child with no control over his emotions. He could not be trust with these powers in his mental state.

The boy had hated the restraint from the start.

“No.” The man answered him, firm, taking both of the little hands in his. “I told you, to live with us, you must keep the bracelet. It’s for everyone’s sake. This is why I need you to get better: no more angry fit, and we’ll get it off. And until then,” At this, he let go of one hand to keep the one with the bracelet, showing the boy his own wrist. He’d scratched and tugged at the bracelet so much, there were countless little injuries, from bruises to small scars crisscrossing his wrist. “I want you to stop picking at it. You are only hurting yourself, and for no reason; it is here to protect you. Understood?”

Alternis looked away from him in guilt, as his face got redder and his eyes wetter, until suddenly something wracked through him and he folded in two, in pain. An uncomfortably long whine rumbled through his stomach as he only shivered harder.

Braev raised an eyebrow. “See? You’re hungry. You need to eat.” Despite the pain, Alternis cracked an eye open toward him. “Do you want to eat now?”  
  
The child considered for a long moment, then nodded, biting his lips.

Braev sighed and got up. “Fine. But I want you to behave, this time.” The boy’s hand tried to maintain contact as long as it could, before they finally parted. The man turned back one last time to the small form crumpled on itself, seemingly drowning in the sheets, before he head out.

Downstairs, Mahzer was just finishing consoling Edea. The girl was barely three, so each time things escalated, she would cry and fuss along with Alternis. They worried about the impact this would have on her as well.

“Is he okay?” Mahzer asked him first.

He sighed. “Exhausted, as usual. And hungry. I think I managed to convince him to eat.” He answered her concern, as he took the untouched plate in his hands.

She glanced at it, uneasy. “Will he accept it now?”

“Who knows. But we have to try.” He simply said as he made for the door again.

“Honey…!” She called to him suddenly, then quieter, “Do you… do you still intend on going on that trip to Ancheim next week?”

“It’s for diplomacy. I have to.”

“I can’t… I can’t handle him,” she finally said, biting her lips. “Not on my own.” She looked pointedly at their daughter that was awaiting the rest of her meal.

“I know. We still have one week.”

One week to fix this, or take a decision. He hoped it wouldn’t come to this as he opened the door to the little boy’s room. Their son, he wanted to think.

He noticed he had fallen asleep, still slightly folded on himself. Braev looked at his plate. Should he wake him up? Should he let him sleep?

He set the plate on the bedside table and pulled the covers higher. The child had no reaction. He watched him a little longer, his subtle shivers, his irregular breathing, the deepening dents on his cheeks. Had he made any difference in this small life since he had found him? Watching him now, it didn’t seem like it.

One week was all he had to make one.

***

Later this afternoon, as Grand Marshall of Eternia, Braev received a few close counsellors for a meeting that he conducted biweekly in his office, at home.

“I presume the _gosse_ is still not over his little fits?” was the first thing the head of the health department said to him, in in his characteristic flat but haughty tone, twirling his spoon in the cup of tea Mahzer had just brought over.

Braev growled, irritated by the scientist’s impudence toward his superior. “These are personal matters, Vincent. None of them concerns you.”

“The most important personality of the Duchy should not have personal matters,” responded Vincent blankly, unaware of his manners. “Especially when these ‘personal matters’ prevent him from assuming his functions in the headquarter.”

Indeed, worried as they were becoming over Alternis’ fits and rapidly declining health, Braev had decided to stay with Mahzer in Eternia for a few weeks. It pained him to do so, as the Duchy was still a very young country -as young as his daughter actually- still waiting to be shaped. Letters and messengers could not replace his presence at the heart of the commandment, where he could keep an eye on his officers.

Vincent was right, duty meant prioritizing the country over home affairs. But he couldn’t entrust his wife to deal with this plight…

As if on cue, Vincent continued. “On that matter, does Mrs. Lee’s medical condition…?”

“Vincent. That’s enough of that.” Braev cut sharply, just as he heard the faint sound of a blade sliding out of its sheath.

“Indeed.” said a third voice, stern. “These are not topics for us to discuss.”

Swordmaster Kamiizumi was holding his trusty katana at his side, eyeing fiercely the scientist seated with them. Time had went by, but still he remained as protective of Mahzer and the family as his early days.

“I am a doctor,” defended Vincent, looking thoroughly unimpressed by the display. “And I know that stressors are a contraindication in her state. Would you put your wife in danger for a street rat, Lord Marshall?”

At these words, even Kamiizumi stopped to consider, sliding his blade back.

Braev knew of the impact Alternis’ crises could have on her health, as she was already just barely recovering from both Edea’s birth and his own coup, three years prior. There was no way she could handle the child’s tantrums alone with another toddler in arms –even with the help of servants and helpers; the screams, the throwing of items, toppling of furniture, the constant feeling of walking on eggshells… this was too much for her to handle. Not to mention, Alternis hadn’t taken too well the last time Braev had had to leave the house for a few days. His absence would only upset him further.

In this state, the boy could not stay home alone with Mahzer and Edea.

He could not stay home…

Suddenly, Braev saw him again, huddled in that puddle in the street. Then, he saw him the first time he was introduced to his room, in Eternia… this had been his first room, just for him. It had taken him days to understand that concept, weeks to sleep in his bed instead of under his desk. He had started to draw recently and they had been putting his creations on the wall above his bed.

They had told him he would be safe, he would have three meals everyday, he would be warm, he would be tended to, he would have an education. They had told him they would be a family.

And now, they would have to tell him they had lied.

His thoughts must have crossed his face, because what took him out of them was a gentle hand on his shoulders.

“Braev if I may…” Kamiizumi started when he was sure he had his attention. “Vincent does say the truth. This situation is not good for the country, for your family, or you. Even for him. He needs proper psychological support with a professional, in an institute. They will know how to handle this.”

Braev gasped in horror. “Nobutsuna, not you too?” Surely his friend did not mean that? Yes, his interactions with the boy had been sparse and difficult. Alternis was defiant and struggling with manners and social cues, and it had not been to the liking of the swordmaster. But even though, he couldn’t advocate for a child to be being given up on?

“He presents a danger, Braev,” the swordman said firmly, straightening up. “You cannot save everyone, and he has proven to be beyond your capacities.”

“Indeed, I am afraid you have failed to raise him, my lord,” continued Vincent, oblivious. “You excused his behavior for far too long –take my son for example. It was difficult, but I made it clear from the beginning that I wouldn’t accept any misbehavior. And look at him now,” he exclaimed, the faintest beam of pride in his unusual cold, unfeeling eyes. “Victor is so quiet and well behaved, you would sometimes forget he is even living in the same house.”

“Vincent, I do not think—”

The swordmaster was cut short as Braev stood up from his chair suddenly. “This topic will not be discussed any further. I am your commander, and this decision is not in any of your hands. Vincent S. Court, Nobutsuna Kamiizumi,” He took a moment to acknowledge both men with a nod. “You are lucky to have proven your worth in this army, or I would have removed you both for your impudence. Now if you truly care for Eternia, bring me your reports.”

“Yes my lord,” they answered as one.

He would have to cross that bridge sooner or later. And he would, but only when he get to it.

***

The day after, as Braev went to check on Alternis in the morning, he immediately noticed that the plate had been touched on, although not emptied. He still considered it a victory, trusting him to put as much as he could stomach in his system, as the boy knew better than any of them how lucky he was to have access to food in the first place.

However, this did raise some concern: he had eaten, but not everything. After days of skipping meals, shouldn’t he be hungrier than that?

The second thing he noticed, was that he had already woken up, dressed up, and was working at his desk. It wasn’t unusual for him to have messed up sleep schedules, moreso now with the crises that would send him to sleep at noon for eleven hours straight, so Braev paid it no mind.

“Good morning, Alternis.”

He didn’t get an answer, the little boy simply turned a few seconds toward him in acknowledgement, before going back to whatever he had been occupying himself with. This wasn’t unusual either, as he still didn’t quite get the basics of social customs; and, until now, they had thought they would have way enough time to teach him. Had.

“Do you intend on eating breakfast today?” he said, picking up the leftovers from his nightstand. Alternis didn’t respond, instead he turned his head slightly more away from the older man in avoidance, his legs starting to kick the air in anguish.

Braev knew better not to press forward, and took a step, curious as to what he was busying himself with. Drawing probably, he could see a sheet of paper and pens scattered on the desk. But once he got close enough, the kid made a startled noise and hunched over the drawing in a panic, effectively hiding it.

He tended to do that, too. He didn’t like people seeing his works in progress. Braev didn’t push him further.

“Alright. You will show us later, won’t you?”

The boy nodded shyly.

“If you start feeling tired, please rest, we have noticed you have been unwell these past few days.” Hazel eyes avoided him again, so Braev sighed and made his way to the door, plate in hands. “We will be in the dining room, if you need us.” He stopped, and searched for his words an instant. “Get well soon, Alternis.” Were his last words as he carefully closed the door behind him.

***

Breakfast felt like bliss, with only the three of them in peaceful, earned near silence. Edea had just finished eating, and was now playing with a miniature Eternia trapped in a snow globe, babbling happily, letting her parents eat their own meal in calm. It pained him to think Alternis not being there was a _comforting_ thought. He decided he would go check on him again after breakfast.

But just as he had this thought, light footsteps could be heard coming down the staircase. Then, silence, and a timid Alternis opened the door just enough to get his head through.

“Come in.” called Braev.

The door was pushed open just enough for him to get through before it closed.

“O’tanis! Hi!” exclaimed Edea, waving her toy at him.

“Good morning, Alternis.” Mahzer smiled. “Did you sleep well?”

As usual, he looked successively at them in acknowledgement, but didn’t answer, still standing in the same spot. He was holding a sheet of paper.

“Come. Come show us what you have.”

“Oh, another work of yours?” cooed Mahzer, her hands joining in genuine excitation in front of her.

At Braev’s invitation, the child finally came closer, blushing under Mahzer’s words. He held up the drawing, first turned to Braev. It was a drawing of them two, smiling. He had even rendered a lot of small, intricate but accurate details on his armor, with his trusty sword drawn at his side. The boy already had an eye for details.

But the most important of them all was: they both looked happy.

“It’s good. Show them, too.”

He turned toward the other side of the table.

“It is very pretty, Alternis. We will definitely hang it, in our room this time.”

The boy nearly glowed with pride at these words, melting on the spot. Seeing him like that, Braev felt something lift off his shoulders. Maybe things would be alright.

But suddenly they weren’t.

It only took the smallest, _tiniest_ hands to grab at the paper, probably moved by curiosity, wanting to see it up close, to be included…

Alternis hung onto it in defense, startled. Before any of the adults could react, the paper ripped.

And then, for a few, fleeting moments, only stillness. Only the boy’s quickening breath could be heard, over what felt like an eternity.

Then he let out a deep, enraged growl, grabbed the baby chair, toppling it over.

Edea was still strapped to it.

“Kya—” she squirmed, before she hit the ground in a clatter.

“Edea!!” her parents said at once, jumping over to her. Braev had to unceremoniously push the other boy away, albeit he might've been rougher than he needed to be.

She was wailing, crimson red all over her pale face. She was bleeding –where from, they didn’t know. It felt like everywhere. He heard an hissy, trembling breath behind him.

“I knew it. I should’ve listened to them.” Braev cursed, not bothering to turn back. Suddenly in that moment, he felt nothing but contempt and bitterness toward the boy.

Mahzer was freeing their daughter from her bonds. “Honey you should call a doctor, I-I think her head is bleeding.”

Braev got up. He finally glanced back, flames alit behind his cold eyes. “I should’ve gotten rid of you long ago.”

Alternis screamed. The longest, most ear-piercing shrill yet, eyes shut and nails planted in his own skull.

Braev did not care. He simply left to call the doctor for his daughter.

***

It was quick: the family lived close to the tower, usually for emergencies relating to Mahzer’s health. Upon returning into the living room with the White Sage, he saw that Alternis had again passed out on the spot, his face against the floor, crumpled in a fetal position. While he was still angry at him, a voice reminded him that it probably still wasn’t his fault. He put a coat on him to serve as a cover, the dinning room’s floor could be cold.

Mahzer had just finished wiping the face of a hysterical Edea just as the sage came in to swap roles. He casted white magic immediately, all the while examining her fussy face.

“She lost three baby teeth, punctured her tongue, and the capillary split, but she sustains no brain damage. She will be fine.”

They relaxed, just like their daughter seemed to under the calming magic. Then she plopped off into sleep and they realized he had just put a sleeping spell on her.

“However I cannot make her teeth grow back. She will have to wait a few years for her adult ones to grow.”

“This is a relief.” Mahzer said, already laying Edea down on the couch for her to be more comfortable. “We were so worried!” she shot a quick, near unnoticeable glance toward the back of the room. Braev followed it, then the sage too.

“Is that one alright?” he asked, gesturing to the boy lying prone on the floor a few meters away. “Is he sleeping?”

“He… Yes.” Braev confessed. “I should put him into his bed now.” He made his way toward him.

“His stomach hasn’t been well these days.” Mahzer explained. “It makes his temper quite… difficult. Maybe you could…?”

“Stomach aches? I might have something to help with that.”

Before she could thank him, she heard her husband voice calling her. He was still hunched over the child, and his tone was grave.

“Mahzer? There’s something wrong.”

While tucking the boy tighter into the coat, his eyes had caught on a dark stain. Something deep red was running from both of his nostrils and across his cheeks, dripping from his ear to a small puddle under his head. Blood. And a lot of it. He tried to wipe it off with his thumb, smearing red over his jaw, but new blood quickly trickled back down.

“What? What’s wrong?” she asked with worry, turning to him.

He lifted him up in his arms, still wrapped tight in the coat, and carried him over. Mahzer’s eyes widened in alarm when she saw the blood and pressed closer. The other man hovered his hand around the sleeping child’s face, so Braev stood still, assuming he was about to use white magic on him. Nothing happened. No glow, no energy.

“Hmm, this is peculiar.” said the man, seemingly as perplexed as they were.

“What is it? Why aren’t you stopping the bleeding?” Mahzer asked.

“My magic can’t go through. It’s as if…” He made a complicated, but precise gesture with his finger, his hand scanning the boy’s curled up body, before suddenly backing away in alarm. “W-what is the meaning of this?!”

“Curse? Illness? Spell? Speak at once!” commanded Braev, growing frantic as his brain listed all of the possibilities and the order of gravity.

“There is an extremely high concentration of dark magic in him.” The doctor said, in a grave tone. “On a dangerous, life-threatening level. This is the first time I’ve seen such thing. Has he been cursed?”

“I’m not… certain. I found him two months ago off the streets in Florem. He used dark magic to defend himself.”

“Did he learn how to cast elemental magic properly?”

“I don’t believe so. He was using it in close range with barely any channeling.”

“So he’s producing his own energy in a sufficient amount to be able to unleash it physically…” The man shook his head. “It’s very impressive, but as a doctor, I cannot condone such recklessness. Dark magic damages its user if it isn’t channeled through spells.”

“Yes, this is why we put a seal on his powers, as a way to prevent him from hurting himself or others.” He dug up the boy’s hand from under the coat, exposing the white magic bracelet circling his wrist. It looked uncanny, immaculately white over the scratch marks and bruises the child had given himself trying to take it off.

“A seal?” The man raised an eyebrow, examining the device. “Could it be… That’s it! This is why!”

“The bracelet?” asked Mahzer, surprised.

“It’s true that he’s been struggling against it since we put it on, but…” could this be the reason behind the tantrums? Really?

“These bracelets are typically used for the transportation of criminals, or for neutralizing someone who lost control of their powers, these are temporary devices.” The old man explained. “Meanwhile, this child here has a naturally high disposition for magic, probably in the top fifteen percentage for magic generation if not higher. If my suspicions are correct, this might be a problem of surcharge: he’s building up magic he can’t release because of the seal. You mentioned a bad mood, correct?”

“Y-yes,” Mahzer stuttered, as Braev was still frozen in shock over the reveal. “Irritability, stress, mood swings, bursts of anger and violent behavior…”

“Dark magic feeds off negative emotions.” The man said confidently. “The magic overload would’ve made him weaker, which worsened his mood, which in turn made the darkness in him grow stronger. The snake that eats its own tail.”

“So the bleeding is…” Braev started, gaping for air, his hold tightening around the small weight in his arms. Mahzer gasped and stepped a few inches back to compose herself.

“Dark magic _damages_ the user.” Repeated the sage. “Even if it’s not released, if left to fester, it will wear down a body… to make space, that is.”

“What?!” he erupted, feeling like a sword had pierced up his chest.

“His own magic is literally eating at him.”

Braev felt a cold shiver down his spine. So that was his fault. Alternis _had_ been trying to get the bracelet off, all this time. But not because it was foreign and uncomfortable. It was literally killing him. And he had waved him off every single time.

He… he had also said terrible things.

“Should we take the bracelet off, then?!” He had already grabbed at the boy’s wrist, ready to destroy the bracelet, with brute force if he needed to.

“Yes, but not here.” Said the doctor in a calmer tone, trying to defuse the tension. “At this concentration level, it won’t be safe for any of us – or the furniture.” He tried to joke, but the couple kept extremely serious glares. He coughed, and continued. “Thankfully, we have rooms at the tower that can handle such energy. But we should make haste, this is quite the bleeding. Poor thing must be exhausted fighting this battle alone. Didn’t he say anything?”

“No.” Braev said. “He doesn’t talk.”

“He’s mute?”

“Selectively, the doctors say.”

“Honey…” Mahzer called as she came back to them. “Look more closely at this.” Mahzer was holding his drawing from earlier. He scanned it once more.

Alternis was happy. But he was missing his hand.

And Braev had his sword drawn just next to him.

__


	2. Lancing the Abscess

The trip to the central tower was just as quick as it needed to be. Before they left, they had wiped Alternis’ face clean and staunched the bleeding by stuffing tissues up his nose, and he was now laying perfectly still in Braev’s arms, while Edea was snoring loudly in Mahzer’s. He had advised her to stay home with their daughter, but she had insisted to come, for he was her child too, and she wanted to be there.

Eventually, she did agree not to enter the chamber when the same doctor informed them that a release of concentrated dark energy could be extremely harmful to her or the toddler she was carrying. Luckily, there was an observation room adjacent equipped with a window overseeing the containment chamber; it was used both by doctors and guests alike whenever a patient could not be approached.

As for Braev, well, he simply declared that as the bearer of the Templar asterisk, he had enough control over Light and Protectors to ward off any darkness. He would stay by Alternis' side, and that was final. The old man didn’t argue further.

Save for a small minimalistic bed on the wall opposite to the door, the room was mostly empty of any furniture. He saw the observation window on his left, where Mahzer waved at him. He noticed it was soundproofed. The only other thing of note was the giant crystal dome on the middle of the ceiling, shining brightly.

The doctor caught his look. “This will absorb and nullify the darkness, purifying the room. Now if you could please lay him down onto the bed, there.”

Braev did as he was told, gently lowering the child down on his side. He winced at the way his limbs fell limply into the mattress like a worn ragdoll. He must’ve been exhausted, he thought, avoiding looking at his wrist where the symbol of his guilt and shame still hung ominously. He kept a firm hand on his shoulder.

The other man kneeled next to the bed. “If you wish to conjure up any more spell, any more protection, now is the time. I am disposed to cast my protective spells on you as well if you wish so, for good measure.”

“I am fine. I’ll handle it.” If he was hurt during the release, then so be it. He deserved it, for letting this build up and _eat_ at the child for so long. This would be a fit retribution and he accepted it readily.

The sage simply shrugged. “If you say so, my lord.” After he cast one final spell on himself, he settled at the boy’s side, carefully taking his wrist in both hands. Cracking the seal was not a difficult task for a master of white magic, and the stone broke immediately with no resistance, opening up the jewelry to be taken off.

Alternis stirred in his sleep and Braev had to catch himself not to stumble to his legs when he saw his face contorted in pain as he folded in two slightly. He was about to ask what was happening, if it was normal, when a shockwave knocked him back, pain flaring in the hand that had previously rested on the child’s shoulder. He saw his vision darken quickly, and he barely had time to shot a glance at Mahzer still watching them, looking just as worried as he felt.

Then everything went dark.

Only the pain in his hand made him realize he was still conscious, and moreso, he realized his eyes were open. He thought for an instant he had gone blind, but then he remembered.

“Is this… the Darkness?”

“Indeed. Quite a thick fog, eh?” he heard the doctor echoes from somewhere nearby.

Braev couldn’t see anything, not even his own hands, it was absolutely pitch black. And more than the blindness, it felt oppressive too, like a heavy, monstrous breath on your neck. He shuddered. This couldn’t all come from little Alternis, could it?

“How is he?” He asked suddenly. If the mere act of _releasing_ dark magic damaged the user, then what could it do to him in such quantity?

“He is fine. I’m here to make sure of that.”

This time he focused on the direction of the sound, trying to find his footing back to the bed. As his eyes grew used to the dark, he could see a faint but calm glint piercing the darkness from the same direction. As he got closer, it felt like the air in the room became lighter, and easier to breathe in. Finally, he could see enough to see the outline of the bed, and the two beings there. The light, he came to understand, was cast by the sage applying white magic. In the curative glow, he could draw out hints of Alternis’ features, who still looked incredibly pained.

He wavered, “Is he...?”

“He is still unconscious. It’s probably better for him that way.” Braev sighed in relief, and the man waited for him to sit back down before continuing. “Now that he’s a little less packed, my magic can go through. It will fix any physical damage he might’ve endured— and is still enduring.” he heard him wince.

Braev’s gaze grew somber, and it had nothing to do with the dark surrounding them.

“To tell you the truth, I am casting both Sleep and Cura together. Can’t have him wake up now, it’ll just torture him for nothing.” At these words, the child let out another pained whine in his sleep, and crumpled tighter on himself. It looked like the spell was really the only thing keeping him from waking up, and Braev was grateful. “I am sorry, but you’ll understand why I can’t look at your hand now.”

Darkness was lifting up more and more as the crystal over them filtered it, and so his vision was getting clearer. Now, Braev could see the outline of his hand, bent in a worrying way. He put it aside and simply resigned not to use it at all.

“It’s fine, do what you must. He takes top priority.”

They kept silent for a long moment, and beneath the guilt, was growing another feeling: absolute uselessness. What had even been the point of coming here, he cursed himself repeatedly as more and more of light streamed back into the room.

He suddenly remembered the window and turned to it. Mahzer was still there, but she must’ve had laid Edea down somewhere, as her arms were now empty. He nodded to her stiffly, but she only seemed to understand and relax when the doctor smiled gently at her.

He… needed to work on his facial expressions.

Soon after, he noticed the characteristic glow of white magic dim down, then fizzle out. Even without the sleeping spell, the boy laid quiet and unmoving, his breath even.

“Is it over?” Asked Braev frantically. “Is he cured?”

“Well, it’s an improvement at least.” The old sage sighed as he retrieved an ether from his coat and drank it. “His darkness levels are still high, but much more manageable. He has earned his rest, now, just like I did.”

“I… Forgive me,” he turned fully toward the other man, looking him straight in the eyes with all his might. “I do not know how to thank you. Tell me your price.”

The man simply laughed and waved him off. “Do not concern yourself with an old man like me. You have done enough for the doctors and patient of this entire country, Grand Marshall. I am the one indebted to you.”

“However…!”

“Besides, I have to refuse you my help yet again.” He added quickly with regretful eyes. “I don’t think I have enough magic left in me to heal your hand. But I will escort you to one of my colleagues, come now.” The man stood up, visibly exhausted but holding firmly on.

Braev considered his words for a moment, his eyes and mind wavering between the pain panging in his hand, and the small bundle of limbs in the bed. Finally, he pulled the cover higher on the boy, unstuck the curls clinging to his forehead by sweat, and then got up, casting one final glance at his son before following the doctor outside of the room.

Outside, the light was blinding for both of them. By instinct, he turned to the door that Mahzer had gone through earlier.

“Do you wish to see your family? I can tell my colleague to come heal you there.”

“Yes, this would be much appreciated. Thank you.” Braev waved, holding his head as he went straight for the door.

“Honey!”

“Fazah!”

The light was thakfully dimmer in the room, and he could open his eyes again. He raised an eyebrow at the small figure on the bed, that was already gulping a juice box. So Edea had waken up already? Really nothing could bring her down for more than two hours, then. They were doomed.

“Hello Edea.” he said simply as he closed the door behind him. “Did you sleep well?”

“Well!” She repeated after him, bouncing on her butt.

“That is good to hear.” He said as he came to sit on the couch.

The room was furnished like a small guest room, but it also had a desk and a few machines monitoring the quarantine room. He glanced through the window, Alternis hadn’t moved an inch on the bed.

Mahzer caught his eyes. “How did it go?” She asked with concern.

“I think it went well, the doctor said he needed rest.” He replied, trying to fake reinsurance, with no big success. “He healed most of the injuries and kept him unconscious so he did not feel anything.”

“O’tanis! meanie! Very bad!” Edea exclaimed suddenly, biting at her straw with the teeth she had left.

“Edea!” Her mother scolded her.

“He did push her.” Braev amended in her favor. “That’s fair.”

“Meanie! Meanie! I hate!” continued Edea, vindicated by her father, as she kicked the air repeatedly.

Mahzer sighed, shooting him a mean look, then kneeled in front of her daughter. “Edea, you have the right to be angry, but first listen to me. What Alternis did was bad, this is true, but he didn’t _mean_ to do it. Something very bad inside him made him do it.”

“Very bad?” she repeated, apprehensive.

“Yes.” Braev answered this time. “We took it out, though. He won’t do it again.”

Edea looked at him, then at her mother, with worried eyes. “He sick?”

“Not anymore.” Mahzer smiled.

“Now he needs sleep.” Braev added. “You can choose whether you want to be angry at him or not.”

“Hmmmm…” Her little brows furrowed in contemplation, as the little girl started to wander deep in her thoughts, looking down through the window. Better leave her be, her parents thoughts as they exchanged a glance.

“Honey, your hand…!” Mahzer exclaimed suddenly.

“Oh, this?” Now with the full lights, he could see the damage. Bones were torn, the skin had ripped in some places, and the flesh had taken on some ominous dark shade of purple. Despite his young age, Alternis was a force to be reckoned with, he couldn't help but smile proudly to himself. “It’s nothing. They are sending a healer.”

“Did… Did Alternis…?”

“Not on purpose.” He said quickly, in a rush to defend the boy. He couldn't be blamed for something that occurred as he'd been unconscious. The sage had warned him, too, he had been the reckless one, and this injury was warranted. “When we broke the bracelet, pent-up energy blasted out and—”

“Braev, it’s okay.” Her voice cut gently through his rant with a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “I’m not blaming him, I never did. And especially not now that I know the truth.”

“I— He should feel better when he wakes up.” He still said, avoiding her gaze. He wasn’t sure what “better” meant through Alternis’ standards, he simply hoped there would be less tantrums. And that he wouldn’t be in pain anymore.

The healer finally came to knock on the door, and they let her in.

“Dark Magic discharge, is this right? It’s never pretty.” She commented as she examined his hand. Hers held a fragment of earth crystal against his palm, while the other danced above, casting white magic. “I’ll have to tell you, I won’t be able to patch you up anew right away. Dark magic is opposite to white magic, it makes for very healing-resistant wounds. Trying to force it out will just make it heal badly. I will simply prevent the darkness from seeping further and risk necrosis, but then it’ll be you own body’s duty to get it out. I will also set your bones right.” She explained, and Braev nodded along.

He really was something, that boy! Despite being the one injured, Braev couldn’t help but marvel at his power. If he learnt to use it, and righteously, he could accomplish great things.

The thought left him to ponder. Without the bracelet, he would need to be trained with his powers. But dark magic users were rare and few, in fact he’d only ever met one, and…

No. Abyssio was dead. He had killed him himself. _However_ …

The nurse was wrapping his hand in runic bandages. “It will help weakening the darkness. The pain should be entirely gone in about three days, but it might take a bit longer for the skin and flesh to get back to their original state. Do not take the bandage off on your own, come to the tower. We will check up on the wound.”

“Three days?” Braev pondered. With the strength of his asterisk at his disposal, he could expect it to heal faster than the average, meaning... “That means I can take it off tomorrow.”

“Braev, no!” Mahzer slapped him suddenly on the head.

“Please my lord, keep it on.” The healer sighed. “Else, this will only make your recovery longer.”

“Alright, alright,” He backed off under Mahzer’s glare. “I will.”

“Mazah angry!” Edea snickered at him. He stuck his tongue out, and she laughed.

***

_Cold._

_He felt cold. And light, and empty. His eyes opened on an unfamiliar room. Where was he? Why was he here? He had to go back. Go back home…_

_“I should’ve gotten rid of you long ago.”_

_He had no home anymore._

_Just like back then…_

_Something rose up from the depth of his stomach, but he felt so tired. He simply waited for it to burst as usual, send him shaking it away, destroying everything in its path along the way. It didn’t matter anymore. He didn't care._

_Then it came all the way up, but this time the feeling didn’t burst. It didn’t make him want to destroy, to hurt. It simply spilled over in molten warmth along his cheeks. And then it sent him shivering uncontrollably, but it was not the same, it was painful, it made him want to curl up and wail._

_He preferred it to the one from before._

“Alternis?”

Braev couldn’t sleep that night. The healers had given the family permission to stay in the observation room, and they had even added a bed. Edea was sleeping with her mother, and he had his own bed. Unfortunately, his hand was still aching, and so here he was, absent-mindedly turned to the windows, when he saw subtle movement in the adjacent room.

Suddenly, he saw Alternis sit up. Then he looked around, but missed the window –Braev assumed because of the lack of a source of light, the room must’ve looked pitch black from where he was. As he pondered whether he should get up, turn on the lights and risk waking up the women, he saw him fold tightly on himself, his head between his knees. He was trembling, and Braev could see the room darken quickly.

Was he in pain again?

He jumped to his feet toward the light, coming back to the window to bang on it, trying to catch his attention. The boy gave no reaction, having cut himself entirely from the outside. Braev swore between his teeth and stood up, but movement behind him made him pause.

“What is it? What time is it?” Mahzer said in a slurred voice, turning to him.

“It’s nothing, I have to check on Alternis. I’ll be back.”

“What? Honey, wai—"

He turned the light off again and exited the room. Thanks to emergency lights, the empty hallways were still easily navigable. However, Alternis’ room was closed, and he didn’t want to break down a _hospital door_. He searched around for a staff member, and found a nurse quickly, who in turn went to search for a superior.

He waited in front of the child’s room, when the door to his own room opened.

“Braev, what’s going on with Alternis?” Mahzer asked, still holding on the door.

“What is he doing now?” he asked instead of answering.

“He’s sitting on his bed, in a ball.” she said as she glanced back for a second. “Is he still sick? Did you see a doctor?”

“We’re getting one. Is Edea still asleep?”

Mahzer pushed herself through the door, revealing she was carrying a still fast asleep Edea on her other arm.

“You should put her back to her bed. You’re going to wake her up.”

“I’m coming with you.”

Before he could protest, the nurse came back, followed by an older lady in a long healer robe.

“This patient? The one with Dark Energy overdose, is it?”

“Yes, he— He woke up. And I think he’s not feeling well.”

“Really?” She raised an eyebrow.

“We were allowed to stay in the surveillance room,” Mahzer pointed out. “We see him from the window.”

The healer shrugged and approached the door. “Fine, let’s check on the little one, then.” She unlocked the door with a spell and Braev immediately pushed it open.

This time, Alternis finally lifted his head, startled. Their gazes met for a moment, and he saw the child attempt to draw a shaky breath— before his expression decomposed again, and he buried his face behind his knees again, trying to muffle a painfully long whine.

He steadily approached him, followed closely by the healer, until he could kneel by the bed, and rest carefully his valid hand on his shoulder once again.

“Alternis. Calm down.” He commanded, expecting lashing out, as he’d come to learn how touchy the boy could be when he had a meltdown. But it didn’t happen, the child simply shying away from the touch while he sobbed quietly.

As he stood perplexed, a glow next to him brought his attention to the older lady, who seemed to be scanning him with magic. He shied from her as well.

“I see nothing. His levels are still above the norm, but he sustains no injury. His release is too weak right now to cause anything more than mild fatigue.”

“What? Why is he crying then?”

“Beat me. He’s a child. Children cry. Ask him.”

“He is mute.”

“I can hear him right now.” She scoffed.

_“It is psychological.”_

Mahzer stepped in between them. “His voice is fine, but he just doesn’t talk.” she clarified, trying the bring some of the tension in the room down.

“Then I don’t know. He probably needs consoling, I’m not his parents.”

Braev raised an eyebrow. Consoling? She might have a point there, but how was he supposed to even go about it? He was no good at this, every time he’d tried with Edea, he'd just scared her. He shot a confused look at his wife

“Hug him” she whispered, encouraging, as Edea stirred in her own arms.

Oh right, he should’ve started there. Gently, he tried to coax the child into opening up, but he only pressed into a smaller, tighter bundle, still sobbing into his knees. Braev sighed and simply pressed him whole against his chest.

“Alternis. That’s enough of that.” He commanded in the softest, most reassuring voice he could.

He was terrible at this, wasn’t he? He heard his wife wince, making his cheeks redder.

“Are you trying to make him cry? Are you really a father, or did you just knock your wife up and called it a day?”

“He’s adopted!” Mahzer said in precipitation, clearly embarrassed, as she was sitting on the other side of the child.

“It’s no excuse.”

“Alternis.” Braev cut through again. “Whatever it is, I’m sorry that you’re feeling sad right now. If I did anything…!”

Oh _no_. He had done something, hadn’t he. He had said terrible things, and that had been the last things Alternis had heard before he had passed out.

He took a deep breath and hugged him tighter.

“Alternis.” He repeated again, gentler. “I apologize to you. I was angry and said things I didn’t really mean. None of this was your fault, and I know that now. I am… very sorry.” The boy gave no reaction, and for a moment, Braev feared the boy had retreated so far in his head, he couldn’t even hear him.

“You were right.” He said again. “This was the bracelet’s fault. This was my fault. It’s gone, now.” He took his wrist in his hand, now bare. The child snapped out of his position, his wailing stopping, as he lifted his eyes from his knees and observed his own wrist, stunned by the realization.

Then suddenly a purple flame burst from his fingers but for a fraction of seconds only, the boy immediately remembering how the other adults saw his powers. He pressed his hands into his chest as if to hide them in shame and guilt.

Braev didn’t leave him time to close on himself again, he pressed him against him again, this time chest to chest, his hand cradling his head firmly. Within seconds, the child was sobbing again, if a bit muffled, his frail arms worming their way into the man’s back.

Maybe he wasn’t that bad, after all, he thought as the boy slowly rode out his grief. Mahzer joined in on the hug, her hand drawing circles on his back.

The healer sighed and made up to leave, shooing her two assistant nurses with her.

“I’m sorry can we keep the door open for a bit?” Mahzer interjected. “We’ll make sure he doesn’t…”

“Pshah, don’t fret it. Boy’s as harmless as a fly right now, I can see that. Take your time, I’ll leave the door open.”

“Thank you.” She beamed, huddling closer to her family.

After a while, the shivers evened out, and he felt the little fingers digging into his back relax quite a bit. About one-two minutes of waiting some more, Alternis pushed himself away on his own, slightly slouching on the bed, wiping at his last tears and, Braev noticed, snot running down his face.

Edea had woken up too, looking curiously at the scene between them.

“Better?” asked Braev simply, as both his hand and Mahzer’s were still resting on his back.

The boy nodded, exhausted, his gaze lost somewhere in front of him.

Mahzer smiled kindly at this. “We’re glad to hear that. I’m sure Edea is glad too, aren’t you sweetie?”

Alternis’ eyes widened in alarm, fingers digging in his own knees, making himself look as small as he could under Edea’s glare.

So he remembered. And she did, too.

She crawled from her mother’s lap, getting closer to him, trying to force him to look at her, but he simply trembled harder. They were about to stop her from intimidating him, but suddenly she jumped at him, pushing his backward with all of her weight onto the mattress.

“ _Now_ I forgive.” She said in a severe tone, not too far from her father’s own. Alternis laid there stunned, unsure of what to make of the situation. Noticing this, she went to hug him as tight as she could.

“Am happy because no bad thing! I hope it’s gone faaaar away forever! So we can play again!” She giggled expectantly.

Still deep in confusion, he shyly returned the hug, flustered.

Braev caught himself smiling at the view. Maybe this could be fixed. Maybe they could save him.

And he already had an idea how to do it.

“He’ll have to be trained properly.” He finally breached the topic a moment later, after both children had fallen asleep on top of each others to the gracious sound of Edea's snoring. Braev roused her gently, a hand on her back, hoping to make her stop, but to no avail. Much to his embarassment, Mahzer often said she had definitely gotten that from her father.

“Yes, but with whom?” she asked, witholding a slight smile as Edea only let out a louder snrkk in reaction. “Do you think any magic school will accept him? I don’t believe he’s ready to attend a class with other children.”

“Yes, until his emotions are in control and he learns to talk, schooling is out of the question.” Alternis was still extremely skittish with both adults and children and had a hard time with social conventions. Moreover, he was also stronger, and more prone to burst of violence than the average child, so now, this would not be in his interest or other children's to enroll him in the common education system. “No, I was thinking of letting him learn from a tutor.”

The idea wasn't new, they had already talked about it at length, albeit with always the same unanswered question following shortly: “Yes, but who? One of your generals?”

Braev winced at the thought. “They’re good soldiers and great magicians but… no.” Ominous Crow had a fantastic grasp on magic, but also deep personal issues, to put it lightly. Moreover, he hated children and had no authority, so he would not handle Alternis well.

Fiore De Rosa had solid knowledge of both physical and magical arts, which fit the child’s fighting technique perfectly, as well as a teacher degree, but Braev had a gut feeling not to trust the man with too great responsibilities. The man had also a penchant for the vice, that the Grand Marshall would be damned to expose Alternis to.

Ciggma Khint would be a strong contender, if he hadn’t just suddenly left the force and Eternia, arguing personal matters. As for Vincent S.Court and Holly White, they were specializing in healing magic, far removed from Alternis’ own talents. Holly herself was still a student in Eternia's military school.

“I would trust them woefully with a lot of things, but never with a child.” He summed up his thoughts as Mahzer nodded along wisely. “To tell you the truth,” He weighted his words carefully for dramatic effect, “I already have a candidate in mind.”

Mahzer was indeed taken aback by his his words, not that he couldn't blame her. He hadn't mentioned it to her, to anyone yet, despite having had this conversation a hundred times over the past few weeks. “Really? Who?”

“Why, the greatest master of dark arts there ever was, of course.” He smiled, albeit a bit shakily. He wanted to believe he had the right idea, but he knew it'd definitely take some convincing to do.

“The greatest…?!” she repeated, slowly, as it dawned on her. “You don’t mean…!”

“Yes. I mean him.” He confirmed, knowing exactly that she had got it right. But she took a moment to take the idea in, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“But how?” She finally burst out loud what she had been asking herself, “Abyssio died years ago!”

Braev frowned, hurt, as he crossed his arms. “You don’t need to remind me, I remember it like it was yesterday.” The memory of the incident was still painful to his mind. He had never really forgotten that day. “But while the man is dead, the sum of his knowledge and technique remains on this earth.”

She gasped. “You don’t mean…”

“The old sage of Yulyana inherited his Asterisk.” He confirmed again what he knew she has understood. “With it, Alternis might…”

But she suddenly cut him sternly, her eyes piercing through his own. “You don’t plan on making Alternis the new Dark Knight, do you?”

There it was, this was exactly what he was planning to do. But now that he heard it from someone else, it was upsetting how wrong it felt. But still, he would not back down, he had made peace with this idea already (supposedly). There simply was no better option for Alternis to tame the darkness: a proper guide through it. “It’s only a job title,” he waved with irritation, trying to still his own doubts so he could convince her more easily. “If raised right, he won’t fall into darkness.”

She was quick to shoot back: “But all the previous dark knights did!”

“They were all lone fighters.” Braev pointed out. “The asterisk was lost and circulated in black markets and criminal circles for a long time, until it was retrieved from Abyssio’s body. It didn’t make these men fall to the dark side, they were already there when they came across it.”

“But Braev, he’s a child!” she insisted louder. She immediately lowered her voice on instinct but still as furious. “He’s too young for an asterisk!”

“Children don’t usually grow up relying on dark magic to survive in a hostile environment.” He countered, also trying to keep his voice low. “Alternis is a child, that is correct, but he has also come to use his powers as a vital crutch no child should even need. Now that we know that we cannot cut him from them, we need to embrace them.” He took her hands as he saw her open her mouth, searching for more arguments that would not come. “The Dark Arts are the closest thing to how he already uses them.”

Mahzer said nothing, instead she looked downward and away from him. She was biting her lips as if she wanted to say something, to breach a painful topic. “Is this really alright by you…?” She finally whispered.

“Alternis isn’t Abyssio.” He said, reassuring, as he glanced as the sleeping children. As if he still needed confirmation about that himself, he thought with cynicism. “Him using this asterisk doesn’t mean I’ll see him any differently than I do now.”

They stayed silent for a moment longer, and he could imagine that she was indeed getting to the same conclusion as him. It wasn't the ideal option, but it was the best one, even if they didn't want to admit it. She sighed, and, still looking away at her laps, asked again in a defeated tone: “When are you planning to…?” She didn't even want to finish her sentence.

“I’m leaving tomorrow for the Yulyana woods.” He declared, something he had thoroughly planned already. “The sage will train him while I carry on with my diplomatic trip, and you stay home with Edea. I’ll stop to bring him back on my way home.”

Finally she looked at him again, raising a dubious expression at him. “The sage will _train_ him?! A _Dark Knight?”_

“You know the man.” Braev shrugged, his tone lighter already. “If anything, it’ll be a worse time for Alternis than for that old croon.”

She smiled as well, and his heart finally warmed again. “Well, that much is true, but…”

“Mahzer. It will be fine.” His hands climbed from hers to her shoulders, comforting, bringing her close. “Alternis can handle this. It’ll give him control enough to feel confident and overcome his anxieties. You won’t need to fear him anymore.” He added, lower.

“I don’t _fear_ him…!” She defended hastily, clearly offended by his words as she tilted away from him to face him. “I’m worrying about him!”

“It’s too late for worries!” He groaned with exasperation. “He can’t be raised like the average child anymore, he needs guidance and he needs it now. And if that asterisk is the one he needs, then so be it. We promised we would help him, did we not?” He glanced at the boy one more time pointedly, and she followed his gaze.

She said nothing for a moment as she watched over him, then she simply sighed and leaned back in again. “I know we did. I just hope this is the right solution for him.”

“It has to be.” He said sternly, willing his own doubts away.


	3. Tales of The Abyss

The first healer came back in the morning, finding all of them still there, dozing on the lone bed. Not that the two adults had planned for it, but they had had an exhausting day and very little sleep, and had been talking about their plans up until the early hours of the morning. As soon as they woke up to see him, however, they quickly moved away, gently stirring the children awake as well.

Alternis was fine, the man confirmed. He sustained no physical damage, and while he still needed to release some lingering amount of magic, this was a process that would happen on its own naturally and undetectably over the next few days, especially now that he wasn’t wearing the bracelet anymore.

The boy felt calmer too. Although he was still exhausted, he was more well-behaved, however he remained skittish and shy still. His anger had subsided, but his fear and mistrust were still rooted deep. For Braev, it was still an encouraging development: as long as his anger was under control, he could learn to react to these fears in a more productive manner.

And finally, they were promptly discharged and free to come home.

Immediately, Braev started packing up for the trip. It would take at least two full days to join Yulyana woods by airship, so he would need to depart tomorrow to get there to drop off Alternis, then arrive in time in Ancheim for his mission. He sent a message for Heinkel, asking him to prepare their escort: their departure date would be moved forward.

“I want go too!” squirmed Edea when she saw him prepare a suitcase for Alternis.

Braev scorned. “No, Edea. Daddy is going to work. You stay with Mommy.”

“Why is O’tanis going? I want go!” she fumed as she put a foot in the suitcase.

“Alternis has things he has to do.” He justified, sternly, pushing her foot away. “It is not a vacation.”

She sat (or, more accurately, tumbled) in the suitcase. “I want go too! I want go too!”

“Edea!” He scolded impatiently as he lifted her up and away from the suitcase. Alternis, who had been looking on curiously (Braev wasn’t sure he understood the purpose of their trip, he was still mute, and would still never watch anyone in the eyes or look invested in any conversations), getting to his feet to follow them.

He sighed, Edea still fussing in his arms. “Alternis, stay in the room, we haven’t finished packing up your things yet.” But as usual, the boy didn’t even look at him. Braev remembered he probably had no idea what “packing up” even meant, so maybe this once, Braev could pack for him. “Fine then, you stay with her. Don’t let her come into the room.” He caved in, then put her down and swiftly closed the door between him and the children in the hallway. He immediately heard her throw a tantrum (as if they hadn’t had their fair share of them already), then some kind of scuffle close to the door, until only muffled sobs were heard.

Hm, the boy wasn’t bad at some things at least, he pondered.

A few hours later, Heinkel was at the door with the assembled squad. Braev had been so absorbed in the preparations, he'd nearly missed Mahzer’s goodbye kiss, which he’d have hated himself for.

“Where is Edea?” He asked her.

“Sulking on the couch. I couldn’t bring her to say goodbye." His wife shook her head, offering a weak smile, then added: “She bites.”

He winced. She tended to do that when angry, yes. “Tell her I’m sorry. I’ll bring her on a trip someday.”

“Make it soon. I know how busy you are with Alternis, but she needs her father too. She lost three teeth yesterday.”

“I know.” he replied. “I’m sorry. I’ll bring her a present back.”

“Just be sure she gets her father back.” She said, and this took him aback.

He paused for a moment. Yes, he tended to forget with all of his trips, that aircraft accidents happened, and since his coups, the world didn’t see him or Eternian knights kindly. “I promise you both.” he simply swore, before he finally turned away, pushing Alternis along in the cold Eternian wind.

***

“So, how’s your second flight, boy?” Braev heard Heinkel ask at breakfast after a (too short) night of sleep in the air.

As Grand Marshall, he had the luxury of personal, comfortable quarters. Alternis lived there with him, as well as Heinkel as his personal bodyguard –not that anything would happen to him on his ship, with his own army, but Braev didn’t mind the additional company. Out of his most trusted generals, Heinkel had been the one to warm up the most to Alternis, maybe because he’d been there where he was found, or maybe he was just that good with children.

The boy didn’t really reciprocate the attention, as usual, but the knight didn’t seem to mind, and was still trying to break the ice.

“First one is scary, I tell you. I wasn’t looking very good the first time they got me climbing the clouds.”

Braev was finishing his coffee, and figured he should intervene. “That’s enough Heinkel, don’t you see he's not even listening?” Alternis was indeed still deeply focused on eating, like his life –still– depended on it, savagely biting away at his bread. Nothing in his behavior showed he paid any attention to the conversation. Braev didn’t know why Heinkel was so stubborn.

But he promptly ignored him entirely. “But then it got better. I still get the shivers the first night of a long flight, though. But you however, I remember how impressive you were! I haven’t seen you puke or shiver even once! You were there, standing straight on the bridge, looking right at the ground underneath like you didn’t even notice the height! Me and the men thought to ourselves, this little man will surely make a fine pilot one day!”

At these words, Alternis perked up from his bread and looked at Heinkel with curiosity. Braev nearly lost his grip on his cup, barely missing Heinkel’s smirk.

“Are you interested, boy? You might need to learn to use that mouth of yours before that, though. A pilot has got to be able to order his crew around! What do you say?”

Braev held his breath, as for a few, fleeting second, the boy opened his mouth, breathed in and...  
Nothing. He looked away in shame, and tears bubbled in his eyes.

“Aw, don’t worry, kid, there’s still time.” Heinkel shushed awkwardly, trying to comfort him. “Forget that. Pilots can use sign language too.”

Braev raised a hand. “Sir Heinkel, that’s enough.”

But Heinkel continued, desperate for the child's attention once again. “Actually, with the wind, this might even be better. So maybe you do have a ledge over the others!”

“Argent.” The knight finally stopped when Braev raised his voice louder. “This is enough.”

“Yes, you’re, um... You’re right my lord. I apologize.”

The rest of the breakfast happened in silence, Alternis’ shivering sobs barely audible under the rumble of the engine.

***

It took two more days of flying to reach Yulyana woods. Alternis spent them silently looking out at the ground down below, unresponsive to Heinkel’s constant pestering, the knight having asked to be of babysitting duty. There was one single change to this routine, as as soon as Florem’s lands came into view, the boy was overcome with terrified spasms and ran away to his quarters to grab onto Braev so tightly, the man had to suspend his paperwork to reassure the boy for hours that no, they would not be stopping there.

The fact they would however stop soon, and they would need to part ways for a time at least, was one he kept to himself. There was no need to upset the boy further, although Braev couldn’t help but wonder how much did Alternis understand about the purpose of their trip. He could only hope with a tinge of anxiety that he knew enough, just as the child was dozing off in his arms.

They landed on a nearby lake in the morning. Guards pressed to accompany him and Alternis on land, but Braev refused them. The old man did not get many visitors, and barging in unanounced with a fully armed escort would not be polite. Nobody but the sage lived in this forest, and he could handle the beasts of the forest well enough on his own. Moreover, he preferred their meeting to stay private, and for the sage’s resting place to stay hidden. This is was among the secrets he had always asked him to keep.

As they got deeper into the forest, a familiar voice welcomed him. “Braev! You didn’t tell me you were going to come by! What’s bringing you here?”

“Sage, I am happy to see you are well.” He nodded as he noticed the small form jump from behind a large tree, pushing Alternis ahead by the shoulder.

The sage jumped in surprise at the sight of him. “By the crystals, how long has it been? Last time I saw you and your beautiful wife, Edea was still a baby, why didn’t you tell me you had another child?”

“It’s not—Edea is still a baby don’t worry.” Braev explained. “I found that one about two months ago in Florem.”

The sage sighed. “Well that’s a relief, I tend to forget time passing, you see. It is a very confusing thing. Also now I can say it without being rude, he doesn’t look like you one bit!” He laughed as he turned to Alternis, who was looking pointedly at the ground. “Nice to meet you boy, you can call me sage. What’s your name?”

“We named him Alternis.” Braev answered for him. “He does not talk, he doesn’t want to yet. Not to anyone.”

The sage looked at him first in confusion, but then a spark of lucidity flickered in his eyes. “Oh, you mean he’s one of _those_ boys. Poor child.” Alternis kept silent, fiddling with the hem of his shirt, not looking up. “'Alternis' suits him, very regal, if a little old fashioned. But enough with the presentations, we should get to my house at once, we’ll be more comfortable to talk, would we not.”

Braev thanked him and together, they crossed the forest to the man’s hidden cottage.

“Now, maybe it is time I ask you what this suitcase is for?” The sage said as he started making tea after making his guests sit around the table.

Braev winced. You couldn’t hide anything from him, could you. Although the suitcase was probably a dead giveaway indeed.

“Listen sage, I have a favor to ask of you.”

“I figured. You wouldn’t come all the way here with your army just to say hello, would you?” I’m lonely you know. You don’t need an excuse to come by.”

Of course, he had also noticed his airship and the men onboard, Braev berated himself. Oh well, this made things easier for him.

“I need you to give me the Dark Knight asterisk.” He asked without beating around the bush.

Sugar spilled onto the counter as the sage turned wide eyes toward him. “That’s--! Quite a sudden demand! May I ask why? You already have an asterisk.”

“It’s not for me.” He waved, trying to make the demand less insane that it was.

“Is this for another general then?” The sage cut him with a scorn before he could explain further. “Braev, your army already has enough asterisk as is. And this one especially is not--”

“It’s for _him_.” Braev put a hand on Alternis’ head, who was staring at his knees, kicking idly.

A moment of silence followed, as the old man registered his words. “Pardon me!?” He gaped, letting go of everything he was holding to avoid spilling anything further, as he probably figured the discussion was not going to get any less agitated. “Braev, have you lost your mind!?”

“I know how it sounds to you, but listen to me!” Braev tried to impose silence again, raising his voice as he was used to do to command attention. But the sage was not so easy to impress, unfortunately.

“There is nothing to listen to I am not lending an asterisk –let alone the _Dark Knight_ asterisk—to a child!” the old man fumed as he took a seat across them. “What were you thinking, bringing a little boy into your wars!”

“I’m not bringing him into anything!” He shot back, irritated. “Alternis, show him what you can do.” He commanded to the child, who had been making himself as small as he could ever since they had gotten into the cottage. He didn’t react.

Braev was getting impatient. “ _Alternis._ Your magic.”

The boy turned his head away, holding his hands against his stomach as if to hide them.

“Don’t waste his time, Braev.” The sage said, gravely. “Or mine; no matter how good he is with magic, I will not consider it until he’s a lot older, and even then, something like the Arcanist job would be much more appropriate than the Dark Knight.”

“It’s not... He doesn’t use _magic_ per say. ” The Grand Marshall tried to explain.

But the old man only sighed, pinching at the bridge of his nose. “Braev, out of everyone I’ve known, you were among the ones I considered the least likely to ever ask me to lend the Dark Knight Asterisk again, to anyone. I don’t understand you.”

“Well in that case, shouldn’t you listen even more closely to what I have to say?” He countered, looking him straight in the eyes. “You know I wouldn’t ask for it, especially for a child, on a power impulse.”

The sage said nothing this time, leveling his glare for a few moments, before he finally caved in. “Alright then. I’m listening, but I am not agreeing.” He said as he laid against the back of his chair once more.

“You will take your decision once you know where I’m coming from.” Braev said simply, then started to tell the boy’s story: how he had found him on the edge of Florem, starved and terrified, with fear and defiance in his eyes, how he had wielded a sword bigger than him, and the exact kind of arts he had used in their fight. Before the sage could interject, he confessed sealing his powers in with a White Magic bracelet, and bringing him back to Eternia, to try and giving him a better future.

“Then, his temper slowly worsened until it became nearly unbearable, and he was admitted in the Central Tower three days ago, where they discovered important internal bleeding.” He prefered to skip the part where he had harmed Edea, it would not paint a fair picture of the child. The sage kept silent, as he had for the entire summary. “Healers found out he was producing too much energy too fast, and needed to release it. However, he never learnt to channel it into elemental magic, and instead, despite the consequences, is used to unleash it raw— as Dark Magic, that is. Sage, he is _already_ using the dark arts.” Braev insisted on. “I ask you to let him use the asterisk, let him benefit from Abyssio’s experience taming the darkness, and from the journey of all the other holders before him. He needs it.”

The sage didn’t reply right away. He looked deep in reflection, glancing at the child who had not moved one inch since then. “I now understand the situation. And I understand where you’re coming from.” Braev breathed in relief: so that meant he had gotten through. “However,” said the sage, stern. “My answer still is no.”

“What!?”Braev jumped to his feet in anger, towering above the small, decrepit form of the sage. “But you heard this is for his own good! Would you deny a child some respite?”

The sage remained unimpressed by his display, as usual. “I would agree to teach him elemental magic. From what I got from your story, he has a natural inclination to it, he just hasn't learnt how to channel it. Maybe the Sorcerer or Arcanist asterisks will fit him well, but not before a few years, however.” He kept saying, his tone light and hopeful.

Braev was at a loss for words, feeling himself deflate. Yes, this would be a sound idea but... “Well, I suppose you could, but...” What could he possibly say to change his mind now?

“Braev.” The sage said, unyielding but gentle. “Be honest with me, and with yourself. And with this boy, too. There is another reason you want to give him this asterisk in particular.”

He kept silent. He knew he had an idea of what the sage was alluding to.

“You’re still haunted by this affair, and you‘re trying to find some redemption through raising the next generation.” The sage confessed for him. “How long has it been now, four, five years maybe? It’s time to let go.”

Braev slowly sat back down. The sage was right, Mahzer had been right. He was bringing Alternis into an old war he had nothing to do with, he was trying to atone for his sins through an innocent child. But ever since he met him, ever since he saw him use that magic against him... he kept thinking of Abyssio, and that fateful battle five years ago.

He was still a priest of the orthodoxy, back then. Words had been reaching Eternia that Florem was the cluster of a mysterious outbreak spreading quickly to the rest of the world, and so the head of the church had gathered an assembly of scientists, knights and politicians to discuss the matter. This was then that Braev met Vincent; and as despicable as the man could be at time, he was brilliant like no other, so together with Braev they researched the idea of using the earth crystal as a white magic amplifier. This could save humanity from the plague, but they needed the approval of the orthodoxy. As they had submitted their propositions, they had been accused of blasphemy, and Braev had been made to publicly apologize, and retract.

But when the people of Eternia heard of the refusal, anger burned through the cities, lit up by a group of bandits who had recently arrived in the port of Gathelatio, just before international travel was forbidden. Their leader was an outrageous, ambitious man named Abyssio, who had fled Florem just as the outbreak had started, and with a couple of friends was leading a lot of people angry at the lack of reaction from the orthodoxy, taking arms against the head of the religion in Eternia.

He was the first Dark Knight to make himself known in Eternia. Usually wearers of the asterisk that had long gotten out of the control of the sage or the orthodoxy kept hidden; the fools that would try to flaunt it would quickly get murdered by rivals so they could get their hands on it, and the cycle continued. As a result, the orthodoxy didn’t even dare claim the artefact back and instead abandoned it to the criminals, the lowest scums of the earth for centuries.

But Abyssio had been different. Who knows where he had found the asterisk, but he’d had enough skills to keep it long enough to master the darkness left in it by all his previous owners, and more importantly, enough charisma to rally people under him rather than against. He was still a murderer and a criminal, but he could lead people, and that made him incredibly dangerous for the orthodoxy in the context of a growing popular revolt amidst the pandemic.

They had sent Braev to defeat him, to show his loyalty, prove his repentance for the blasphemy. He had the powers of the Templar Asterisk, the Holy Knight asterisk, how fitting for the two matching sister-asterisks to fight? He hadn’t questioned it. He was a high ranked priest of the orthodoxy, he had been raised in crystalism values and had devoted his life to the crystals, it was his duty, wasn’t it?

“What is your purpose exactly? Protecting Crystals? The people? Or those cowards hidden at the top of the world? Who do you think needs a brave and strong warrior the most at the moment? Here’s a hint, people who are truly in need of help can’t pay for the help.”

Had these words swayed him from his path, or had they been what he had been waiting to hear all along? He couldn’t remember now, all he knew was that he had defeated him, his sword piercing through the cold metal. He had called for a healer, the sage had answered. Just as easy as that, the ambitious Florem swindler had disappeared without accomplishing anything, and every one of they companions they could track had been executed for treason. The orthodoxy had prevailed.

But mere months later, it met its downfall as Braev marched upon the Eternal Tower with an army of close friends, and old members of the initial rebellion, supported by the sage’s powerful asterisks. Ironic that the wielder of darkness had shown him the light, albeit too late. Countless had died, from the revolt and from the pandemic, because Braev had been stubbornly obedient. If they had joined forces right there and then, how many would’ve been saved from either camp? The question had haunted him ever since.

“Abyssio was misguided by his anger, and you know if he had had his way back then, he would have become a tyrant." The sage pulled him out of his thoughts again, scornful. He didn't seem to pity the dead one bit. “And his so-called 'friends' weren’t any better. You did what you had to do and stopped a mad man, now his post mortem redemption is not on your shoulders. Nor is it on the asterisk, and even less so on that little boy.” He said, wisely.

The Grand Marshal of Eternia was stammering like a scolded child. “I... I know that, I don’t want to make Alternis work for it, I just thought--” He pleaded, searching for his words. “If you had seen him fight...!” The resemblance had simply been uncanny, surely if the sage saw it...!

“Braev.” He cut him once again. “I understand he has a strong affinity with magic and, believe me, I understand his beginnings. I can see how a gifted boy who never had the opportunity to learn magic channeling could end up getting used to unleashing it raw, but that doesn’t make it something we should encourage him to pursue. I will teach him how to use his potential safely, don’t worry.” He said with a genuine smile. “If he is especially gifted, I might even lend him an asterisk before his eighteenth birthday. In any case, I will teach him to stop using dark magic so freely so he doesn’t pose a threat to your family or anyone else.”

"You are... right. My apologies.”, Braev had to concede, sitting back down. Of course, it would be better for everyone if Alternis just learnt elemental magic to get rid of the excess production: he would have a safer outlet, build up self-confidence and a feeling of safety, and potentially secure a career; magic users were very sought after in most fields, and with an asterisk on top of that, he’d be accepted everywhere. What was the point of arguing further? The Dark Knight asterisk was indeed dangerous, and no toy to give a child.

The sage looked satisfied with the outcome of the discussion, and smiled. “Very well, now will you stay for the night? I don’t get a lot of guests, but I have more than enough space for you two tonight, and for a lady as well if you have any on your boat!” He winked at Braev (who simply sighed), then got up his seat and went to bring more supplies for the coffee. Braev looked at Alternis, still kicking the air idly, never having lift up his head for the entire discussion.

Yes, this was better for him. He was not Abyssio’s repentance. “I realize now, the world doesn’t need a new Dark Knight, and it probably never will again.” He muttered, mostly to himself.

The sage said nothing.


	4. A Night Full of Stars

As the templar left the forest to report to his troops that he would be staying at the cabin for the night, and to confirm that they would be departing early in the morning, Yulyana mulled over their previous conversation.

“We should’ve heeded the Dark Knight’s pleas!” A raspy, broken voice rang with desperation in his memory. “He was telling the truth!” He shook his head, willing it away. This couldn't be it, he was probably overthinking this.

However, he couldn't help but glance in the direction of the boy who still hadn’t moved, nor opened his mouth since Braev's departure. It had been hard to get him to allow the older man to leave his side, and he had since then seemed to be stuck waiting in anguish for his return. Yulyana had placed cookies on the table for him, and he'd swallowed them in a matter of seconds, before going back to kicking the air idly on his chair and staring at his knees.

“So your name is Alternis, isn’t it?” he addressed the boy with a smile that he wanted friendly and trusty, bringing his own chair closer.

He got no reaction whatsoever, not even a shift in the rhythm of his kicking legs.

Yulyana sighed, “Ah yes, you're not a heavy talker, I heard. It’s not going make things easy for us.” he pouted, rejected, scratching at his beard.

Suddenly grey, then black smoke rose up from his pensive fingers, and shortly lit up his beard aflame. “Muh!? My beard, it’s on fire!” he jumped to his feet in a panic.

Still no reaction whatsoever from the boy. Darn, it had worked on every vestaling until now!

The sage huffed, vexed that his little trick hadn’t even made the boy lift his eyes. On the contrary, he had actually ever so slightly turned his shoulders away, shutting in on himself further. Yulyana sighed as he extinguished the flame with another spell, leaving his beard pristine again. “Have you seen the burning beard trick already, boy? No, don’t bother replying.” he answered the question himself with a huff, before taking a seat back.

Well, he supposed he should've expected it, after all... “Braev told me you lived in Florem?”

At this word finally, the child opened his eyes wide in terror and his fingers clenched on his shaking knees. Still he didn’t dare to look at the sage, retrenching deeper in his bubble, making himself even smaller, quieter.

Of course, Yulyana figured, that’s what it was. Alternis was neither the first nor would he be the last of these 'Florem Boys' Yulyana would encounter. Oh, the old man had tried for a very long time to change the mentalities in Florem, but the matriarchs were stubborn. 'The capital is a sacred place for pure women to grow closer to the purity of the Crystals, and everyone knows the rules.' Babies born in the capital were the result of their mothers's sin and impurity; to put it quite simply they were walking infractions to the law. The orthodoxy officially had no obligation toward them, but it was a widely known fact that most if all of the baby girls wounded up sent to the city's many convents and secondary temples, bringing new, influenceable blood to the orthodoxy's ranks. Boys, however, weren’t as lucky. If none of the parents came forward to claim them and take them away, they were either left in the forest or sent adrift on the rivers, far away from public eyes: their sort was left for the Crystals to decide.

Few survived past their first days, but in Alternis's case, Yulyana would bet that the dark powers he manifestly had developed kept him alive. Dark magic could absorb the life force of nearby beings, allowing him to survive at a very young age without any way to procure food. The boy was awfully thin, he noted. Life force could make one survive for a long time, but it didn't feed your stomach.

Now that Yulyana thought about it, whenever he came to the capital, he would hear of a few ghost stories about demons hiding in the streets at night, attacking and stealing with strange, shadow-looking energy... Could this have been him? The way the stories were told, the Floremese demon hadn't been treated with kindness...

“Don’t worry, these are my woods here.” The sage said in a reassuring tone to a still shaking child, giving him more space. “These people can’t get you here, I make the rules. Besides, I'm actually an Eternian at heart, and I believe they treated you more fairly over there.” He smiled, then winked and added in a lower voice “And believe me, when you're older, you’ll learn the good parts of a women-only city!”

The boy seemed to relax ever so slightly at his first words, but his eyes watered and his lips trembled. Ah, he wasn't so good with children was he? He didn't think it possible, but that smile was even harder to crack than a vestaling's. “I’ll bring you more cookies, you can eat them all again if you want.” he said as he took back his chair with him, the only excuse he found to give the boy his privacy. And indeed, just as he came back with the cookies, he saw he had closed back in on himself, burying his head in his arms and knees.

What was Braev thinking, expecting him to give such a fragile mind the Dark Knight asterisk?

He decided to keep this question to himself as the Templar came back and they spoke of lighter matters, like Mahzer and Edea mostly, and of the state of the world and the duchy. They even mentioned the Archduke a few times, although as Yulyana expected, he would not show his face often, if ever, to Central Command. Quickly the evening came in and away. None of them was bestowed with any other reaction from the boy, whether look or sound, but he had calmed down. He now seemed to be content just being “there” in the same room as them, so they let him be, until Braev noticed he was starting to doze off. Yulyana showed them the way to their room, as the Templar and his wife had been trying to accustom him to sleeping in a bed always instead of just falling asleep anywhere. Even more importantly, they were also trying to teach him to stop reflexively fighting against sleep. As expected, leading him to bed wasn't difficult, the boy simply followed anything Braev commended, never objecting any word.

This was disheartening to see.

“He is very fragile.” Yulyana whispered as Braev closed the door on the boy's room. “He must have gone through a very difficult life.”

“Yes, he-- It was difficult.” He replied, averting his eyes. “When I met him the first time, I didn't realize at first I was fighting a child. I just couldn't leave him like that.”

“You did well. You're probably the best thing that could've happened to him.” The sage smiled. He'd have patted him on the back, but the Templar was stupidly tall, even for Eternian standards, so he didn't. “Now, let's get back to the living room; we should not disturb him further.”

They settled around the table once again in silence for a few more minutes, until Yulyana spoke again, sternly. “You still haven’t given up yet, have you?”

Braev jolted up and toward him in disbelief, “What?”

“I can see it in your eyes.” Yulyana confessed simply. “You’re mulling it over still.”

Braev did not reply, looking stubbornly at his coffee like a child who'd just been caught red-handed. That was just how he was, the sage remembered, stubborn and idealist even in the face of reason. He was a hard man to deter, although it could sometimes be a good thing.

“Did I ever tell you? Yulyana started again. “About Abyssio’s last words?”

“Last words?” he repeated after a moment of consideration. “Need I remind you I was there when I pierced him with my sword?”

“You sure were, Braev.” the old sage sighed. “But you weren't there when he gave his last breath.”

Brav arched one eyebrow, suspicious. “What?”

“Abyssio was a Dark Knight, pain and injuries only made him stronger—or at the very least, they gave him enough stamina to resist and endure the worst of damages for a while longer than the norm.” Yulyana clarified.

“He didn’t die?” whispered Braev, eyes wide and, dare he say, hopeful?

The sage felt sorry for him: unfortunately, this world wasn't a fairy tale, or if it was, it belonged to one wicked fairy. “Oh no, he did.” he shook his head sadly, not wanting to let the thought take root too deep, “It seems I have something that draws people to die in my arms. But it took some more time, yes, after your fight.”

“How long?”

“Two days.”

“Two days?!” Braev repeated, agast. “My sword pierced through his chest!”

“A _lot_ of stamina.” Yulyana repeated himself, calmly. “And pain resistance. It is a terrifying asterisk,really.” The man's injury had been quite gruesome, and no doubt that without the artifact, any mortal would've died on the spot. Was it a benediction or a curse, then, that he survived for so long after it? the sage had no idea. “I tried, but I couldn’t save him, I could barely relieve him of his pain.” He shook his head, not bothering to hide the truth. “He had pushed his dark magic to the brink, and the toll it was asking of him now was simply too high for a human life. No amount of healing could've saved him.”

Braev's tone was somber, “I see” he simply said, before sitting back on his chair. He hadn't touched his coffee in a moment, and didn't seem to want to anymore, intantly fixing a corner away from the old man. Eventually, he asked, “So what did he tell you?”

Yulyana thought for a moment, trying to remember what he was going for earlier. “Ah, yes… Well he made me promise two things. The first was to closely watch over that young priest who bested him.” He said, watching the other man for a reaction. Braev did look back up to him, so Yulyana took confidence in relating the dying man's word with fervor. “For 'he has the strength of a man capable of changing the world, if only he stopped following orders and guarding the status quo'. I think he just didn't want to be bested by just anyone, and die for no reason, if you ask me. But I suppose, it turned out to be true.”

Braev didn't say anything, but the sage could note the faintest smile on his face, lit by the candlelights.

Then Yulyana sighed, and pursued. “The second thing, was... 'Do not give this asterisk to anyone ever again.'” He paused, making sure Braev knew exactly what he was alluding to. “He believed it had brought enough pain and corrupted enough hearts, that no Dark Knight ever brought any light, only darkness, and that enough people had died and killed for it. Moreover, none of these people -himself included- deserved to live on through it, and share their 'skills'. It should be allowed to return to a blank state and store vastly different, more beneficials skills.”

Asterisks indeed were but stones who could store and pass on the skills and even personality of their bearers after extended use. This was why they were strictly regulated and in the best of cases, only bestowed to people who could use and add on to their skills. Constant use and addition prevented the asterisk from fading out and erasing its intern memory. Of course, this would take a few hundreds of years for the dark arts to be no more, but Yulyana had decided he would wait.

“Now you know where I'm coming from on this issue.” he shook his head. “The last holder himself thought this asterisk shouldn't be inflicted onto anyone else. I think you understand what this means.”

Braev said nothing, finally downing the last of his cup. They stayed in silence for a little longer, he could see the younger man arguing ardently in his own head at his words.

Then, suddenly: “I thank you for this evening, sage.” He finally said as he got up from his chair bowing at him in deference. “I should go to bed myself, I'll be leaving at 6 in the morning. I'm entrusting the boy with you.”

Yulyana was a bit taken aback by the sudden cave in. “To--”

“To teach him magic, of course. As a wizard, an arcanist or something else, whichever one fits best in your expert opinion.” He cut in with his usual commanding voice, but still didn't dare look back at him.

“Braev, are you sure this is--?”

“The most important thing now is for him to learn to control his magic so he can feel safe, without posing a threat to him or any other.” He summed up, a bit softer. “I trust you'll be a wonderful teacher.”

“I will do my best.” Yulyana replied simply, as the Templar retired. So he had finally seen the truth, hadn't he. No child nor adult should ever use this asterisk again, unless...

The sage shook his head. No, this was ridiculous, the chance that it could be him were infinitesimal, he should not concern himself with this. So to avoid the thought, he stayed up for a while longer, cleaning the house, working some more on some of his most urgent needlework, and pondering over which asterisk he should train Alternis for.

Hours passed in calm silence.

“Hello, sage.” He suddenly heard amidst the silence. The voice was familiar.

“Hello, my dear.” He replied with a smile, turning to the woman he knew to expect, sitting at the table. “How long has it been since I last saw you?” She hadn’t changed one bit from his memories, obviously, but here she was, her glow immaculate in the moonlight.

The apparition was still smiling, but her dark eyes took on a sad expression. “I wouldn’t know.” she said, softly. “I cannot feel the passage of time myself. A bit like you, I suppose.”

“A bit like me, yes.” He repeated. “And him.”

“How is he doing?” She asked, of genuine concern.

This question took him back, how long since he hadn't seen that rascal around? Good thing Braev had just been giving him news, because it's not like the man in question ever did. “Oh, he’s doing fine,” he waved, “albeit still much of a loner. He’s a Duke now, you know! Even has an honorary siege at the Council of six of Eternia. Oh, I have to tell you more about this--”

She cut him off there, “I know of the Council.”, and her tone sounded uncharacteristically harsher all of a sudden. “And of the Duchy.”

“Oh.” He stopped, tugging at his beard in embarrassment, not sure which button he had pressed, but not daring to question it. “Then I suppose the time is getting closer, isn’t it?”

“It is, indeed.” She said, and this time, her smile seemed very sad.

The old man sighed, and took a seat for himself. “Then what is it? I suppose you have something to tell me? You never show up just to chat.” The night was going to be long, he could already tell, and they had no time to lose in pleasantries.

“I came to ask you a favor, sage.” She turned to him with a grave expression.

“What is it?” He asked again, but just as he did so, he realized he knew exactly what it was all about.

“Give the asterisk to the boy.” she said, very simply.

He sighed again. Of course. Even if he didn't like it, the thought had been nagging at him all evening, ever since Braev mentioned it: _The world might never need a Dark Knight again_ , he'd said, oh! but Yulyana knew better. The world would. One day it will.

As he kept silent and conflicted, she continued. “Do you remember what I told you all these years ago?”

“Yes.” He nodded, “He and I remember everything.”

“How did I put it, again?”

Memories came back easily, for he'd never forgotten that day; it might as well have happened yesterday, this wouldn't make a difference. “It was right at the beginning, when you were cursing yourself. You were repeating ‘we should’ve heeded the Dark Knight’s pleas. He was telling the truth.’”

She smiled, such a sad, sad, pitiful smile. “Did I ever give you an explanation?”

“I’m afraid not, my dear.”

She kept to herself for a few seconds, searching her words as if she could read them on her knees, before she finally spoke again. “He knew,” she said, dropping the word as if it pained her to. She averted her eyes toward the window, gazing at the starry skies, and took a deep breath. “The Dark Knight, in countless worlds we have ignored his warning. We were too blind to listen, too naive to doubt ourselves. But he knew of the Nemesis, he knew we were on the wrong path, what praying to the light pillar would do.”

The sage thought for a moment. “And are you sure it’s him?”

“I’m certain of it.” She closed her eyes as she recited: “‘Alternis Dim, Dark Knight of Eternia, foster son and second-in-command of the Grand Marshall Braev Lee. And member of the Council of Six.’ It is him, sage.”

When she put it like that, he could conceed there wasn’t much arguing against the odds indeed. “Well then, that scared little boy has quite the career ahead of him.” He raised an eyebrow, impressed, not that he would ever doubt her predictions.

“He really does.” she smiled softly. “Although...” She added after a few seconds, a strange, repressed quirk tugging at her lips.

“Yes?”

She shook her head biting back her lips. “Nevermind.”

“Oh come on, you’re not gonna leave me hanging like this are you?” He nudged her. He had to know! Never had she shown this kind of expression before.

She smiled to herself, a little more brightly, her smile unreadable. “I will simply say, destiny has drawn more than one path for him. Which one he’ll fall into, no one can know until it happens.” She then turned to him, and said gently. “Don’t worry; in most cases, he’ll be a good Dark Knight.”

“A good Dark Knight, huh?” The words felt uncomfortable on his tongue. If Braev could hear this... “I don’t even know what this entails exactly.”

“One that will… use the power of darkness for good?” she tried, sounding just as awkward as he'd felt. “I do realize it sounds like an oxymoron.”

“It does sound like one, but so do a lot of your prophecies my dear.” This time, he was the one to smile at her. He could never doubt her words. “I guess light and darkness aren’t as opposite as one might think.”

“Indeed.”

They stayed in comfortable silence for a little longer, looking at the starry sky through the windows. He took a breath for bravery, and finally caved in.

“Very well, then, you know I can’t refuse you anything, Agnès. But can you at least promise me none of those paths ends badly for him?” Would this change anything? Would he dare go against fate? He had done it once, when he decided to run from his death. Unless that had been the plan, as well?

She shook her head. “Unfortunately, I cannot. But what I can tell you is that no matter your decision, he does become the Dark Knight in every path I have seen. The choice isn’t yours, sadly. The most you can do is give him proper training at least.”

He groaned. Training a Dark Knight? Was he even capable of that? “You might be asking a lot of me.” What would Abyssio think of a 'good' Dark Knight? He'd probably laugh, Yulyana thought.

“As usual, I’m afraid.” She simply laughed, sadly. “Believe me, I am grateful to you.”

“Why not come more often?” the sage whined as she got up from her seat. “I’ll make you some coffee. I’m not like the Leister, I get lonely here.”

“I cannot, sadly.” She declined politely. “Besides, speaking of coffee—”

The sound of a sudden downpour, or maybe it was hail, woke him up suddenly. Downpour? The night was silent, the sky without a cloud in sight, and the moon was shining brightly, filtered only by the trees of the forest. The room was empty. The sage wiped at his eyes: he had fallen asleep on his work. He was alone. It would be reasonable to assume that the apparition had been but a fragment of his imagination, a late hour dream from a senile mind.

Yulyana, however, knew better.

However, he had no time to reflect on his previous conversation for another different sound, like something racking in pebbles, rose admist the silence. Yulyana immediately understood it was no rain, for it came from somewhere in the cottage.

So he finally got up, stretching his limbs, and wondered whether an animal got in his kitchen again. He made to grab his staff like a long time habit: that one fox had adventured in his pantry more than once, after all. “Is that you, again?” he called as he put his head through the door. “I told you, your food is on the porch, not my ki--”

Oh.

That was a little fox raiding his kitchen indeed, but not the one Yulyana expected. He let out a tired, but patient sigh as he summoned a bit of light into the room, not too much to not be blinding in the darkest hours. It flickered into hazel irises, fixated on him in what he could only assume was fear and defiance.

“You shouldn't eat that.” he said, referring to the fistful of coffee beans the boy had been munching on after spilling them on the floor. “If you're hungry, I can make you something, but these are not meant to be chewed on.” The sage made way to open a cupboard, scavenging for something more appropriate to feed a child, which prompted Alternis to quickly skit away to the opposite corner,, mouth still full of beans he probably didn't expect to be so hard to chew on. 'At least, now he has a good excuse not to talk.' thought the sage.

Yulyana took the box of cookies out, and after taking a good look at the boy, also took an empty bowl. “Now, spit out. It's fine, I'll throw them, maybe the animals of the wood will eat them.” The child appeared to be considering his words, but didn't make any move., so he added: “Don't you rather eat the cookies? There's enough to fill you up for the night. You don't need coffee, especially at your age.” Didn't Braev mention he had trouble sleeping? Coffee surely couldn't help with that.

Eventually, he figured the child needed some time without pressure, so he went to fetch some fruits and water, too,; milk, even. After all a child shouldn't be allowed to eat only cookies. And indeed, when he came back to the boy, beans had been spat, and he had a cookie in each hand. “And here I thought they were too dry and burnt.” He commented, settling the food on the table. “Maybe I'm a good baker after all these years. “

As the child wouldn't answer his several requests to get him to sit at the table, the sage gave it up and decided to lay a cloth right in front of him with all the night food he had found, then sat down on the ground ,facing him. Old as he was, he'd earned the right to eat in the middle of the night, too, who would stop him? No more words were exchanged as they shared their nightly meal, but Yulyana enjoyed the moment all the same. The boy was a little... 'wild' but he didn't seem like such a bad kid, after all.

Something tightened in his chest as he remembered the past hour. Yes, he wasn't a bad kid, but that didn't mean they could be asking so much of him. Was that really Agnès who talked to him that night? Maybe it had only been a dream after all, prompted by his own troubled thoughts. A 'good' Dark Knight? Could this really happen? Was this really needed?

Eventually, the muffled sound of some kind of scuffle further inside the house dragged him out of his thoughts, and he heard a voice calling for Alternis. “He's here with me, don't worry!” he shouted back, then coughed. He did not have the vocal chords for these kind of games anymore.

“I'm sorry, I should've told you,” He heard Braev reply, his voice getting closer, “he usually wakes up and go on a kitchen raid during the night. I didn't expect him to do it here too.” He joined them in the kitchen soon after, disheveled and... quite surprised to see them sitting on the ground, surrounded with food.

“It's no problem, we had a lovely discussion together.” Yulyana smiled.

Braev looked at him as if he'd just sprouted two heads (Yulyana hoped with the same glorious beard on each). “You-- He--!? Really?” His eyes shifted quickly between him and the boy, who was deeply focused on gnawing voraciously at the apple in his hands.

“Why, yes. We were just exchanging our point of view on what constitutes, in our humble opinions, the most beautiful woman. He has very interesting thoughts and a keen eye.”

Braev sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “And to think I nearly believed you.”

“We didn't use our words. But in our hearts, we simply understood each other.” Yulyana simply said, very serious.

“That's enough of that, sage.” Braev huffed, before gesturing at the cloth. “I usually let him take a fruit or something, but this much? You didn't need to give him so much to eat, you'll make him sick.”

“If I can't spoil the children with treats behind their parents' back, what good is there to being old, then?” he snarked back, but still he started to pack everything up. All jokes aside, Braev was right, it was time for them all to go back to bed.

Alternis grabbed one last cookie before the box closed, but Braev let it slide. “Last one. You've eaten enough, tonight, Alternis. Time to go back to sleep.” He scolded.

It took a bit of nudging, but the boy eventually caved in and got up so Braev could dust him off of crumbs and leftover beans, while Yulyana was putting everything back into the cupboards.

“Hm? What's that?” He heard the man say behind him, and turned back just in time to see him take something out of the boy's shirt.

“Is this...?” The sage came closer, he couldn't believe his eyes. When did he get a hold of this?

“Is this yours? I'm sorry, he has a hard time with the concept of personal belongings too.” Braev apologized in his stead, taking the pendant off his neck and presenting it to him.

Yulyana wasn't sure how to respond. “Well, yes but...” How did he even find it? He always kept it very well secure! There was no way a small boy could've...He looked at the child, who was looking at the ground as usual, as if he wasn't even listening. “Where did you-- Hmm...” He held back, and thought his words over. “Do you think it’s pretty, boy?”

The child didn’t answer but he quickly nodded, still looking away.

“I see. It is very pretty indeed, but I'm holding onto it for someone. Thank you for taking good care of it tonight.” The sage said simply, reassuring. “Now go, Braev here is right. It’s late and we should all rest for a little more.” He said, and watched them pass through the doorway for a little while in silence. Then, he took another look at the shiny pendant in his hand, and couldn’t help but smile.

“Alright dear, I see your sign.” He whispered to the crystal, out of earshot. “I suppose I will have to break my promise, then. I hope he won't be too mad, from the other side!” He snickered. Surely, Abyssio would understand, wouldn't he? Yulyana would make sure that the boy does become that fated Good Dark Knight in exchange, wasn't it what he wanted?

“I wonder,” He mulled as he dimmed the light of the kitchen and closed the door behind him, “Is this how if feels, then, to have the courage to disobey?”

***

If asked, Yulyana would be lying if he said the doubt hadn't still been crippling his guts for the whole two weeks he'd spent with the boy; but the look on Braev's face when he came back to an enthusiastic, bumpy, fully black-armored little Alternis partly made up for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all: Many, many, thanks to Komatsujo for beta reading each chapters!!
> 
> Second, this is the last chapter, thanks everyone who read (or will read) this whole fic! For the little story, it all started as I was listening to the Audio CD and noticed how Ringabel (even in retrospection in-game), had this propension to throw weirdly intense tamper tantrums (wanting to go to Florem for the reunion festival, being super disappointed for being scammed with De Rosa's bracelet...), with the other members of the group being kind of scared of him. So I started wondering if this could have something to do with his peculiar childhood which could've stunted him, and then it gave me such a good opportunity to do something with my headcanon about how magic and asterisks work in the BD universe, and get some sort of answer about how he ended up with the Dark Knight Asterisk. I'm not usually one for OCs, but I liked making Abyssio too. His name might come back in future fics.
> 
> This is obviously not the last time you see me around, because I still have tons of Bravely-related works in progress, and as I said in the comments already, I do plan on making some kind of "Baby Alternis Cinematic Universe" (or as I like to call it, The Babybelverse), with other fics in the same continuity as that one. I just really like thinking and writing about how his childhood must've gone.
> 
> And lastly, I wanted to say that this chapter will always be named "Alternis at 3AM looking for B E A N S" in my heart.


End file.
